Richard Desmond's OK! has reported the biggest period-on-period fall in circulation of any title in the women's weekly sector with Closer, Woman's Weekly, That's Life and Full House the only titles to show sales growth in the second half of 2011.

Northern & Shell's OK! reported an average circulation of 388,472 in the second half of 2011, down 17.9% compared with the first six months of the year – the biggest decline of any title in the sector.

OK! shed 13.9% of its sales year on year compared with the second half of 2010, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures published on Thursday.

The biggest year-on-year faller in the sector was IPC Media's Now, which reported a circulation of 262,275, down 22.5% compared with June to December 2010. Now's circulation fell 15.2% compared with the first half of 2011.

OK! has fallen from third to fourth place by circulation in the sector, falling behind Bauer Media's Closer – which it had overtaken in the previous ABC reporting period.

Closer managed a period-on-period sales increase of 1.6% to 467,048. Sales fell 6.3% year on year.

The women's weekly market leader remains by some distance H Bauer's Take a Break, which fell 1.6% period on period and 5.1% year on year to 791,001.

OK!'s Northern & Shell stablemate Star experienced an almost equally torrid time with sales down 11.4% period on period to 359,583, a 16.4% year-on-year decline.

There was slightly better news for Desmond's New!, which held onto second place in the market with sales down just 1% period-on-period to 515,975. Year-on-year circulation was down 9.2%.

OK!'s arch rival Hello! also had little to cheer about, as sales fell 9.7% compared with the first half of 2011, to a circulation of 373,226, down 8% year on year.

Bauer's Heat, the 10th-ranked title in the women's weekly sector and the biggest faller in the last ABC report when it lost more than a fifth of sales, was down just 0.4% compared with the first half of 2011. However, this represented a 12.1% year-on-year decline to 325,370.

Chat fell 4.3% period on period and 9.7% year on year to 374,430. But Woman's Weekly was one of the best performers in the sector, boasting a rare sales increase of 0.7% period on period to 342,532. Sales fell just 0.4% year on year.

IPC's other titles experienced a tough time, with Pick Me Up down 7.1% period-on-period and 15.3% year on year to 243,028; Woman's Own dipped by 2.2% period on period and 17.6% year on year to 240,347; Woman fell 1.6% period on period and 8.9% year on year to 282,189.

H Bauer's That's Life, the ninth biggest title, had a 1.6% period-on-period increase to 326,481, a 2.8% fall year on year.

The only other women's weekly title to show a sales boost compared with the first half of 2011 was Full House, the Hubert Media owned title, which increased sales by 2.2% period on period. Circulation dropped 1.1% year on year.

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